Mask
by Your Faithful Servant
Summary: Robin didn't wear the mask all of the time just to conceal his identity. It hid a secret that he didn't even want his teammates to know. The secret? He's completely blind. Snapshots through Robin's life through sounds and touch as he thwarts crime and attempts to keep his secret and sanity while living with four other teenagers.
1. Before Robin

He remembered it well, his mother guiding him through the moves until he could nearly do it in his sleep. Her hands were calloused, yet gentle, her words patient and warm even when he made mistake after mistake. "You'll get it, my little robin," she would always say when his frustration would peak.

Most of all her voice stuck out in his memory. It was like a flowing river, each syllable gracefully sliding to the next. Her accent was slight, just enough to be noticeable, but it only added to the smoothness of her speech.

His father was stubborn. He arms were thinner than to be expected of a man, but underneath his skin were strong muscles like powerful wires. In other words, he was built to be an acrobat. This was something that his son inherited, and he took great pride in this. He was smart, every word thought about before leaving his mouth.

Unlike his wife, his hands would be most recalled. They were rough, something earned from his profession, but always so carefully, they maneuvered his son's tiny hands to the ropes. They were the hands that first taught him the joy of flying, the thrill of the wind rushing through his hair as he completed his routine.

He feared, that one day, he would forget these things about his parents.

He feared, that one day, his only memory of them would be the sickening cracks of bone and strangled screams.


	2. Batman's Student

His next teacher has a deep, rumbling voice, like the feeling of gravel beneath bare feet. His hands seemed even rougher than how he remembered his father's, but would teach just as much. If not that, more.

His lack of sight is a disadvantage, the man tells him, but it can be turned into an asset. Most enemies can't function in the dark during a fight. Learning to recognize the sound of a fist, knife,

or bullet is easy, but dodging one is harder. He learns to observe, but not with his eyes. (Footsteps to the right, slightly deafened, boots. Heavy steps, about 200-250 pounds, male. Combined with boots, probable body armor.)

After that, he learns to hit back while dodging, and his acrobatic skills benefit him. He flips and turns and punches and kicks. He throws and runs and rolls and jumps. He builds muscle, loses baby fat, and trains to use his hearing to evaluate the position of his enemies and surroundings.

It takes many years, but he achieves physical perfection.

The final lesson is secrecy. (Wear a mask, don't let your enemy know any weaknesses, no matter how insignificant it might be. Keep your identity under wraps, to keep the people you care about safe.)

"What is your new name?" (This is it, he's abandoning who he once was...)

"Robin." (...Even if it's just a nickname, one thing remains of Dick Grayson)


	3. Becoming Leader

Robin smiled faintly, falling back onto the bed of his hotel room.

Letting out a content sigh, he fingered the corner of his mask and mused about the days events.

He'd really done it. He'd flown the nest. God, he wanted to laugh. No longer was he simply 'Batman's sidekick'. Today, he proved he was so much more. Without Batman's help, he and a ragtag group of superpowered people had defeated a threat. He was glad.

It wasn't as if being with Batman was so terrible. He just felt...like it was time. There had been more arguments lately, more and more often, the man worried more about him than the villains in Gotham, and not to mention how often the hero made his student feel like a misbehaving child. He had known the reason, he had always known the reason, (no one else could die, no one) but it was soon clear that this separation was the clear choice. That hadn't meant it wouldn't hurt any less.

But that was all behind him now, ancient history. This wasn't Gotham. This was Jump City, his chance for a new beginning.

Truth be told, he was planning to go solo for a while. A long while. Before gaining a team, he wanted to be sure they'd respect him and not treat him like a kid. But before he knew it, he had one, and was not only respected, but the leader.

The best part? They didn't know he couldn't see.

He'd learned to act like he could. He faced people when he heard them speak. He angled his head towards the window in moving cars. It wasn't hard.

The whole blind thing had worried his former teacher immensely. (What if you need to read something? What if you need to drive? What if-?) It was dumb, not telling them. Especially since Robin was usually so smart. But...this was his chance to be normal. Or at least, be treated that way.

No, this wasn't a good idea. Yes, it was going to bite him in the butt later on. But no, he wasn't going to change his mind. He'd decided.

For now, he would keep his little secret.

* * *

**Author's Note: Man, I've rewritten this three times and I still don't like it T.T**

**Oh well, here it is you guys. I hope it's okay.**

**Do any of you have ideas for what episodes might be interesting to put in Robin's perspective? Oh course, I'm going to write some scenes not in the show, but I think it would be fun to see how Robin deals in the battles we already have seen. I'm definitely going to do something with the Apprentice and The End episodes, but I need some more ideas. Also, should Robin's blindness be revealed all at once or to each Titan one at a time? I can't decide...**


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